Punting device



Aug. 18, 1942.

A. E. BRODIE I PUNTING DEVICE Filed May 15, 1941 Patented Aug. 18, 1942 OFFICE PUNTING DEVICE Albert Edward Brodie, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Application May 15, 1941, Serial No. 393,655 In Canada April 23, 1941 1 Claim.

The invention relates to improvements in punting devices and particularly to a device for propelling a boat in shallowlocations when it is virtually impossible to use a paddle or car and where pole punting has to be resorted to move the boat and an object of the invention is to provide the pole with means which in the push movement thereof will automatically open to provide a relatively large contacting area at the lower end thereof, and in the pull movement will fold to facilitate raising.

A more detailed object of the invention is to provide the lower end of the pole with a pair of normally down hanging blades hinged to swing upwardly and stopped in an upswung position substantially at right angles to the pole.

A further object is to provide a sleeve or socket to receive and protect the lower end of the pole, and to provide the sleeve with a hinge pin for the blades, and with a pair of stops to arrest the upswung blades in a position substantially at right angles to the sleeve, and also to supply means for fastening the sleeve to the pole.

A further object is to provide a simple, easily operated and durable device formed from a mini- I mum number of parts which can be easily and quickly assembled at relatively low costs.

With the above objects in view the invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device with the upper part of the pole broken away.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the device with the blades shown in their fully open position.

Fig. 3 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view, centrally through the socket and showing the hinge pin in side elevation and one of the blades removed.

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross sectional view centrally through the lower end of the sleeve.

In the drawing like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The device is secured firmly to the lower end of a pole l of convenient length and comprises the parts now described.

A metallic sleeve or socket 2 is provided having the upper end open and the lower end closed and this sleeve receives snugly the lower end of the pole to which it is fastened by the screw 3. It will be observed that the sleeve extends downwardly beyond the contained end of the pole and is provided with a cross pin 4 which has the ends thereof extended beyond the sides of the socket to form a hinge pin for a pair of similar, substantially rectangular blades 5 and 6.

The upper edges of the blades are each centrally notched at 1 to permit them to take a.

normal, down hanging, diverging position, at opposite sides of the sleeve as shown in Fig. 1.

The sleeve carries a pair of similar stops 8 and 9 which are adapted to engage with the upswinging blades and arrest them in a position substantially at right angles to the sleeve. The said stops are herein shown as formed from a single length of heavy gauge wire passed through aligned holes Ifl supplied in the sleeve and having its ends bent upwardly and fastened at their extremities by welding at H to the sleeve. The wire in this way provides horizontally extending arms l2 for engagement with the upswung blades and braces l3 for the arms, it being understood that the length of the arms is greater than the depth of the notches I.

This device is particularly of value to hunters and such others, when they are navigating in shallow places where their boat is apt to become stuck in the mud and paddles or oars are of little value for extraction purposes. To use the device one will grasp the pole and bring the blades to a trailing canted position with say the points A and B down. He will then push the blades against the muddy bottom of the shoal and they will automatically open to the position shown in Fig. 2 and will give a comparatively large bearing area of sufficient size to push the boat ahead (or back) by means of the pole. Subsequently he will pull the pole ahead and continue the operation until the boat is free, and in the pulling movement of the pole the blades fold back against the sleeve thereby facilitating such movement.

It will of course be understood that various changes might be made in the details of the several parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

What I claim as my invention is:

A punting device comprising asocket, a pull out pin passing transversely through the socket, a pair of blades pivotally carried by the extended ends of the pin and centrally notched to escape the socket and permit of the up and down swinging of the blades and stop means carried by the socket and engageable with the blades to arrest them in a position substantially at right angles to the socket.

ALBERT EDWARD BRODIE. 

